It took a few weeks, but the first earthquake recorded in South Carolina in 2026 made an impact, as hundreds of people reported feeling the rumblings early Tuesday morning.
A 2.2 magnitude earthquake was confirmed near Elgin , according to the U.S. Geological Survey . That’s in Kershaw County , where more seismic activity has been recorded than any other spot in the Palmetto State since 2021.
The Columbia area earthquake was recorded at 6:33 a.m. , the South Carolina Emergency Management Division reported. It rumbled close to the surface of the ground, according to the USGS .
centerThe South Carolina Emergency Management Division map of fault lines in the Palmetto State where there has been a swarm of earthquakes. South Carolina Emergency Management Division
Prior to Tuesday’s tremors, the most recent earthquake in the Palmetto State occurred on Nov. 28, 2025 , when a 2.0 magnitude quake was confirmed near Elgin, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey data shows.
There were 35 confirmed earthquakes in South Carolina in 2025.
In 2024, there were 30 earthquakes in the Palmetto State, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, South Carolina DNR records show.
History of earthquakes in SC
It had been uncommon for earthquakes to hit outside the Midlands area of the Palmetto State, specifically beyond Kershaw County , where 73 earthquakes have been confirmed since the end of June 2022 , according to the South Carolina DNR.
That’s also where South Carolina’s most powerful recent earthquakes were recorded on June 29, 2022 .
On that day, two earthquakes – one a 3.5 magnitude and the other 3.6 – were included in a flurry of tremors and aftershocks. Those were the two largest quakes to hit South Carolina in nearly a decade. A 4.1-magnitude quake struck McCormick County in 2014.
Anyone who felt tremors and shaking or heard rumbling from Friday’s earthquake can report it to the USGS . As of 8:30 a.m. , close to 600 people reported feeling the Tuesday morning rumblings.
The most recent earthquake means at least 168 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 53 of the quakes have been in the Midlands .
In all, 120 earthquakes have hit the Columbia area since a 3.3-magnitude quake was recorded Dec. 27, 2021 , according to the DNR .
The S.C. Emergency Management Division said the majority of the recent earthquakes were classified as a micro quakes, according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.
No major damage or injuries have been reported from the recent seismic activity or any of the other recent quakes.
Earthquakes that register 2.5 magnitude or less often go unnoticed and are usually recorded only by a seismograph, according to Michigan Technological University . Any quake less than 5.5 magnitude is not likely to cause significant damage, the school said.
It had been typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey previously reported. There have been 182 earthquakes in South Carolina since Jan. 18, 2021 , according to DNR . During a 2022 town hall to address the earthquakes, state geologist Scott Howard said as many as 200 smaller tremors might have gone unnoticed and unrecorded.
Why the increase in earthquakes?
An explanation for the outburst has eluded scientists.
Some experts have theorized there’s a link between the Wateree River and the earthquakes northeast of Columbia . They said the combination of a single moderate earthquake in December 2022 and high water levels in the Wateree River during parts of 2022 and 2023 have contributed to the earthquakes.
But no one has settled on the single cause for the Midlands’ shaking.
Elgin , about 20 miles northeast of Columbia and situated on a fault line, experienced an unusual earthquake “swarm,” leaving some residents feeling uneasy.
The series of quakes might be the longest period of earthquake activity in the state’s history, officials said. But they don’t believe the spate of minor earthquakes is an indicator that a bigger quake could be on the way.
“Though the frequency of these minor earthquakes may alarm some, we do not expect a significantly damaging earthquake in South Carolina at this time, even though we know our state had them decades ago,” South Carolina EMD Director Kim Stenson previously said in a news release.
“Now is the time to review your insurance policies for earthquake coverage, secure any items in your home that may become hazards during a tremor and remember to drop, cover and hold on until the shaking passes. These are the precautions South Carolinians can take to properly prepare for earthquakes.”
The strongest earthquake ever recorded in South Carolina – and on the East Coast of the United States – was a devastating 7.3 in Charleston in 1886.
That quake killed 60 people and was felt over 2.5 million square miles, from Cuba to New York and Bermuda to the Mississippi River , according to the state EMD.
Reported earthquakes in SC 2025-26
Date/LocationMagnitudeDepth (km)Jan. 8/Jenkinsville1.93.0Jan. 31/Elgin2.03.1Feb. 9/Salem1.61.9Feb. 15/Elgin2.02.4March 19/Elgin1.52.2April 24/Elgin2.32.4April 26/Elgin2.62.4May 1/Lancaster2.24.5June 5/Tigerville2.212July 5/Parksville2.711July 16/Summerville2.21Aug. 9/Bucksport1.99Aug. 18/Coronaca2.24Aug. 19/Coronaca1.75Aug. 20/Ware Shoals2.03.2Aug. 23/Coronaca2.96.8Aug. 23/Coronaca3.02.1Aug. 23/Coronaca2.51.3Aug. 23/Coronaca1.90.1Aug. 23/Coronaca2.00.3Aug. 23/Coronaca2.45.4Aug. 23/Coronaca1.86.4Aug. 23/Coronaca2.18.0Aug. 24/Coronaca1.80.4Aug. 25/Coronaca2.00.4Aug. 25/Coronaca1.75.5Aug. 26/Coronaca2.40.3Aug. 27/Coronaca2.00.4Sept. 13/Ware Shoals1.70.0Sept. 26/Coronaca2.25.6Sept. 29/Kershaw1.812.8Oct. 1/Coronaca1.80.0Nov. 9/Centerville1.87.9Nov. 21/Ladson1.95.2Nov. 28/Elgin2.03.72026Jan. 20/Elgin2.20.0
January 20, 2026 | State, The: Web Edition Articles (Columbia, SC)
Author/Byline: Noah Feit, The State | Section: environment